In his opera "Les Pêcheurs de perles", Georges Bizet transports us to a fictional Ceylon full of expressive arias, duets and fascinating orchestral colors. In a fairytale-like soundscape, he depicts a poignant conflict between love and friendship, loyalty to duty and passion. The concert performance offers the opportunity to experience this work with an absolute focus on the multi-faceted music.
Many years ago, the close friendship between the pearl fisherman Zurga and the hunter Nadir threatened to break up because they had both fallen in love with the same young woman, Leila. Only a mutual vow of fidelity and renunciation could preserve the relationship. Now Zurga is elected head of the pearl fishermen and, according to an old ritual, a veiled priestess is to pray for the protection of the fishermen in their life-threatening work. But Nadir realizes that Leila is hiding behind the veil. Driven by his passion, Nadir breaks the oath he once made and Leila breaks the commandment of chastity. When the double breach of oath is discovered, the drama takes its course.
The then 24-year-old Georges Bizet (1838-1875) composed "Les Pêcheurs de perles" for the Théâtre-Lyrique in Paris. For a long time, this early work was unjustly overshadowed by his successful opera "Carmen". Only in recent years has there been a renaissance of this work.
Premiere: April 28, 2024
Further performances: May 5, 8 and 17, 2024
https://stadttheater-giessen.de
